Getting knocked out in two consecutive high-profile fights has to be a devastating blow to a fighter’s confidence. And the idea of Tim Sylvia banging your ex-girlfriend, sure, that would make anybody want to throw up until they died. But we weren’t expecting this troubling bit of news from a fighters.com article posted yesterday:

Fighters.com’s tenth-ranked heavyweight “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) confessed to playing Russian roulette Wednesday night*, a suicidal gamble during which a revolver is loaded with a single round, the cylinder spun, and then placed against the temple. The hopeless player pulls the trigger, chancing the bullet could end their life.

“First time I was 16, second time I was 30,” said the thirty-year old former UFC heavyweight champion. “It’s when you don’t care about anything.”

…

After his devastating second knockout loss, Arlovski returned to his native Belarus. “I talked to some priest. He read me a poem,” Arlovski related. He also spent couch time with a sports psychologist to the Russian Olympic wrestling team and communed with his family.

“I cried a lot after my fights, you know. When I lost to Fedor, I cried. When I lost to Rogers, I cried. You might be surprised, but I had tears a lot in my last relationship,” Arlovski told, referencing his relationship with Playboy model Patricia Mikula.

* I’m taking this to mean that he made his confession to Fighters.com last night, not that he played Russian Roulette last night.

Hopfully the poem that the priest read him was so good that it made Arlovski not want to put a gun to his head anymore, but some ongoing professional help would probably be wise in this situation. To play Russian Roulette even once would suggest that you might be one chair short of a dinette set. To do it more than once would suggest that it’s only a matter of time before you die tragically.

Arlovski went on to say that he’s still working with Freddie Roach and plans to have his professional boxing debut in the fall.

Now I'm not one to wish death or ill will towards anyone but Cuntalope you are the lowest of the low a complete douchebag, And I would hope someday soon you have tragedy befall you, You wanna be internet tough guy! to say that I don't care about Arlovski well your partially right, While I do not know Andre personally I do feel for anyone going through such trying times that they truly think that this would be their only solution! it's called being a human being and having a heart you fucking nobody!! unfortunately if Andre were to have actually succeeded he would be missed by many! you are a nothing who does nothing(I would bet money you are some degenerate who leaches off his parents or survives on welfare because you obviously are not a very educated person) You are what is wrong with society today! people wanna sit back and wonder why this world we live in is failing and crumbling at such a terrible rate IT IS BECAUSE OF IDIOTS LIKE YOU! GET A LIFE LOSER!! and just so you know when you do fire back with your response to this post know that I do have a life and I cannot just sit here and try and sound like an internet warrior so I will not post on this subject again, But if you do have any interest in retorting to this post PLEASE I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHERE I LIVE AND MAYBE IF YOU DO FEEL MAN ENOUGH WE CAN SETTLE THIS FACE TO FACE HUH??

Dante- August 6, 2009 at 2:04 pm

OBI said probably one of the funniest things ever on this site. hahahahaha

Cuntalope- August 6, 2009 at 12:35 pm

lol look at all the moral fags. you don't really give a shit about this dude, stop pretending you do because you look like scum to everyone else. at least I don't front like you morons.

real talk.

Komodo- August 6, 2009 at 12:16 pm

Still a very dangerous dude, he's just got to get his head and his heart right.

Sneaky Pete- August 6, 2009 at 12:10 pm

@OBI,

It's never too soon for funny.

That's Russian roulette. Okay, gotcha. So what's Belorussian Roulette? Trying to flying knee Fedor. I'd take the one in six odds myself.

UFC fan- August 6, 2009 at 11:52 am

see Andrei Arlovski become the NEW Evan Tanner.
Keep playing that russian roulette game Andrei, it will do you about as much good as trying to kill yourself in the desert.

Seoul Brother- August 6, 2009 at 11:21 am

It's a cutthroat industry made even more ruthless by the sheer number of hungry fighters. Yeah he's had a lot going for him, but as Hexed79 says, there's a serious problem of blunt force trauma and depression in professional sports. We should remember him for putting asses in the seats, and hope he can continue to do so.

If after time and personal reflection, Arlovski feels he has to walk away from MMA, I'd be the first one to thank him for some great fights and hope he does well in the next stage of his life. There is always something to fight and live for. It is an unfathomably sad moment when you feel like you can't go on.

And Andrei Arlovski is from Belarus NOT Russia. There's a big difference.

Josh-O Slicenett- August 6, 2009 at 10:41 am

@ Bloodlust:

Cuntalope gets to make insensitive comments cuz he's a virgin and being a virgin at cuntalope's age can be quite depressing.

Biv37- August 6, 2009 at 10:31 am

If he's reading this tell Andre that we love him. Arlovski has been one of my favorite fighters for years. And I know I'm not the only one who feels like that. I'm confident that there fans all over the world hoping and praying for the triumphant return of the Pit Bull! All the best!

Biv

Old_Bald_and_Irish- August 6, 2009 at 10:25 am

I just read on Sherdog that the only thing that saved Arlovski's life was that when he was raising the gun to his head, the gun barrel grazed his chin and knocked him out cold.

What? Too soon?

825IVER- August 6, 2009 at 10:21 am

That sucks. I wish he'd stay in MMA and avoiding boxing all together. He can easily make a come back. He lost to Fedor and an up&coming hw...no shame in that.

Bloodlust- August 6, 2009 at 10:21 am

Oh and to all the people making insensitive comments and playing psychologist (very poorly), try and educate yourself about depression before you come across as an ignorant asshole.

Bloodlust- August 6, 2009 at 10:18 am

All the best to Andrei. I've dealt with some similar issues myself. My heart goes out to him entirely. I've never been a huge fan of his, but now I'll be pulling for him more than ever, both in and out of the ring. Hold on brother.

Old_Bald_and_Irish- August 6, 2009 at 10:11 am

@ Derly

Never thought I would be defending Bob Sapp, but Mirko broke the orbit of Sapp's eye. That is INCREDIBLY painful.

...but I wouldn't have cried.

I probably would have passed out and peed on myself.

Harry Russo- August 6, 2009 at 10:07 am

He will be alright.

rickson by armbar- August 6, 2009 at 9:53 am

Imagine the funeral. Fedor standing by the grave thinking about when he can use his new "I will hit you so hard you will kill yourself a few months later" punch!

Derly- August 6, 2009 at 9:52 am

@Cuntalope
How can you not see this a "real problem," obviously Arlovski has some very "real" issues. He's will do do very "real" things that could bring a "real" end to everything. A man like this may not need your sympathy, but he needs someone's help.

@2gq4u
Depending at what's on the line and how much a fighter loves their sport there is nothing wrong with shedding some tears in defeat. Often when Challengers come up just short of winning the title, do we see them cry. More often than the loser crying I see the winner crying. Why can a winner cry and everyone see him as a hero, but the loser cries and tell him he's a pussy for stepping in the cage in the first place? That doesn't make sense. If it makes the loser a lesser fighter for crying, then I'm very disappointed in many champions for crying after their matches. Do you see where I'm going with this logic? If not then /end rant.

PS: I'm not referring to crying like B. Sapp vs M. Filipovic, that was horribly pitiful. What I'm referring to is guys who (sometimes) drop down to their knees and let the tears roll. They're not doing it because they're sore losers, because of the pain, because of anger. They do it because they love the sport. Win or lose they know that they stepped up to a challenge that most normal people wouldn't even consider trying, they're crying for the love of their sport and the opportunity they were given.

PPS: Now back to the real topic. I value life so dearly it perplexes me to see a man so willing to put his life on the line for almost arbitrary reasons. As Cuntalope stated this is different than loading a 9mm and knowing that there's one bullet in the clip and it's going to be your demise. It's not as if Arlovski wants life to end, more that he truly doesn't care.

Terminator- August 6, 2009 at 9:52 am

With his skills he's playing Russian roulette every time he steps into the cage.

Jugger- August 6, 2009 at 9:42 am

A year ago this guy was jet setting around Chicago, getting fitted for expensive Italian suites and going to a jeweler to have a custom-made diamond encrusted bulldog to hang around his neck... Walking around with a Playmate on his arm.

Sorry dude. Feeling sorry for him just does-not-compute.

common sense- August 6, 2009 at 9:35 am

i love arlovski, win or lose. i would be devastated personally if that happened. hes a really good guy. and a great fighter, despite recent blemishes.

Kaibo- August 6, 2009 at 9:34 am

holy fuck OBI, that was about as funny and insensitive as you could possibly get.

Biffmiester- August 6, 2009 at 9:31 am

lmao @ OBI... damn thats hilarious.

Dante- August 6, 2009 at 9:30 am

I love Arlovski.

UFC made him a beast in Undisputed.

Remember when he had that very fashionable highlighted mullet!

One Two- August 6, 2009 at 9:25 am

Deffinately not too soon That was some funny shit

LukeTheDuke- August 6, 2009 at 9:13 am

You crazy, desperate motherfucker. We've all been there (not all of us) but getting knocked out twice in a sport where its basically a 50% chance of a KO every outing, is no reason to consider suicide.
Permanent solution - Temporary problem.

NECROPHYTE- August 6, 2009 at 8:57 am

That would've been so metal if Arlovski would've blown his head off and Tim Sylvia would've made a necklace out of his skull fragments.

Josh-O Slicenett- August 6, 2009 at 8:51 am

Dude needs to talk to Vadim Finklefuck so that he can be convinced, just like Fedor, that the UFC isn't all it's cracked up to be. Then he would feel a lot better about fighting in Strikeforce/Dream. I mean... it's not THAT bad! Right guys? ...hello?

J-Dog- August 6, 2009 at 8:42 am

Like Horror Fighter alluded to, it's hard not to smirk just a bit at the irony of a Russian playing Russian Roulette as a means of self-mutilation.

Wyatt- August 6, 2009 at 8:35 am

Well, if the last time he played it he was 16, then we should be good for a little while. If he went to a priest first, it seems like a "leave it in God's hands" kind of wake up call. If the gun doesn't go off, you must have some kind of purpose left in life, if it does, you don't. It is an intense psychological problem but at least it is a passive one.

sainrub- August 6, 2009 at 8:34 am

DON'T DO IT PITBULL, WE STILL LOVE YOU!!

One Two- August 6, 2009 at 8:32 am

I'd like to see him rematch Rogers I think that was a little bit of a fluke.

Horror Fighter- August 6, 2009 at 8:31 am

Russian roulette or as Andrei calls it, me roulette.

Too soon?

OK, not to be completely insensitive, I'm sure Andrei wasn't happy to hear that the UFC has no interest in him. But still: Name a fighter without an embarrassing loss. Look at GSP/Serra. GSP came back stronger from the upset. Chin up (or down), Pitbull. You're still a top-ten fighter. Get back in the gym and tell your agent to start making some calls. You ain't done yet.

dblunderhooks- August 6, 2009 at 8:28 am

He's a great fighter and has always treated his fans well. Hopefully he stays strong.

A loss to the #1 heavyweight in the world and a flash KO are not things to be ashamed of...nor are they things you can't recover from.

I'd like to see him back fighting top contenders again soon.

2gq4u- August 6, 2009 at 8:27 am

First of all, he's not reading CP and getting warm fuzzies from reading your "don't be so sad" comments.
Secondly, the guy's a poor loser. Part of being a fighter is losing and being able to bounce back from it. In fact, how fighters lose ultimately determine just how good of a fighter they are, GSP for instance.
If Andre spends the night crying to himself after a loss he has no business at all being a professional fighter.

Jesus Frijoles- August 6, 2009 at 8:20 am

I work with a lot of TBI cases and yeah, blows to the head will cause all kinds of strange side affects not the least of which is depression.

Kim Couture is a cunt- August 6, 2009 at 8:17 am

Dana should rehab this guy in the UFC. Mabye start his comeback in hte UFC. I like Andrei.

Mr. MMA- August 6, 2009 at 8:13 am

I saw Andrei yesterday in Utah. He was there for season two of Bully Beatdown, he looked good and the crowd loved him. I hope all is well with him, he has always been very nice to the fans.

Hexed79- August 6, 2009 at 8:11 am

One of the unfortunate byproducts of multiple concussions is severe depression. Boxing and the NFL never did enough to fund research on brain trauma and how to prevent premature death in the guys who put their noodles on the line for our entertainment.

I think it's time for the UFC, and the MMA world in general, to step up to the plate on this issue.

If you're interested in the subject, you can read about the science by googling "concussions and depression".

Mike Milbury- August 6, 2009 at 7:56 am

MMA losses and an ex ain't worth dying for.

sPeLLcHeCkEr- August 6, 2009 at 7:55 am

Hopfully >> Hopefully

Biffmiester- August 6, 2009 at 7:52 am

Poor guy.

jackie childs- August 6, 2009 at 7:41 am

I can verify the fact that he is obviously down in the dumps. I saw him at lunch place recently and shook his hand but he definitely seemed pretty down in general.

I have faith that he will be back. Can't wait for his next fight.

AussieMMA- August 6, 2009 at 7:34 am

You have to feel sorry for the guy as a pro athlete to come across 2 big losses basically making you a "non threat" to most for lack of a better word, but you dont wish this type of shit on anyone...

Hope you come good mate!

Crap Factory- August 6, 2009 at 7:33 am

Don't do it Andrei, you've still some career left.

godsloneranger- August 6, 2009 at 7:33 am

Stay strong. It's hard to lose but thank's for being brave enough to put your heart and soul on the line by fighting. Stay strong AA, don't give up on life. I will be praying for you AA.